Lady Hilltoppers punch their ticket to the Class 1A state championship game with a 47-40 overtime win.
NORMAL - The clock had already stretched past regulation when Mt. Pulaski found the moment it had been waiting for. The Lady Hilltoppers kept their nose to the grindstone in overtime Thursday to defeat Brown County 47-40 at CEFCU Arena and secure a place in the IHSA Class 1A girls basketball state championship game.
With the score tied 38-38 at the end of regulation, Mt. Pulaski wasted little time seizing control in the extra period. Audrey Cooper drilled a 3-pointer early in overtime to break the deadlock and shift the momentum to the Lady Hilltoppers. Mt. Pulaski pushed its advantage to five points before Brown County’s Kenzie Kassing answered with a pair of free throws on two separate trips to the line, trimming the deficit to 43-40.
From there, the Lady Hilltoppers leaned on composure at the stripe. Ella Martin and her sister, Elayna Martin, each sank two free throws in the final 36 seconds, sealing the victory and sending Mt. Pulaski to the program’s first state title game appearance in more than a decade.
The last time the Lady Hilltoppers reached the state finals came 13 years ago in 2013, when they fell 55-46 to Aquin High School in the Class 1A championship game.
Alyson Murphy led Mt. Pulaski’s offense with 18 points, while Elayna Martin added 14. Martin also helped control the boards, grabbing nine rebounds alongside teammate Olivia Smith, who matched that total.
Brown County now turns its attention to the third-place game, where it will face Rockford Christian. The Royal Lions were defeated 48-35 by Dee-Mack in the other semifinal Thursday.
Maggi Henry paced the Lady Hornets with 11 points and a game-high 16 rebounds, while Kenzie Kassing finished with nine points and five rebounds.
Mt. Pulaski will meet Deer Creek-Mackinaw in the Class 1A championship game Saturday morning, the first of four IHSA state title contests scheduled to begin at 10 a.m.
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